Apparatus for replacing spark plugs



Nov. 19, 1929. A. L. F. WATTEL I APPARATUS FOR REPLCING SPARK PLUGSFiled Aug. .1, 1927 y Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAPPARATUS FOR REPLACING SPARK PLUGS Application liled August 1, 1927,Serial No. 209,848, and in France August 2, 1926.

The present invention relates to an appa-v ratus for facilitating theremoval and replacement of spark plugs for motor cars without having tostop the motor.

The apparatus according to the invention can be used in all types ofknown motors but it is more particularly adapted to motors for aerialnavigation, since it makes possible the changing of the spark plugswhile the plane is in flight.

The apparatus according to the invention ischaracterized by thecombination of a wrench capable of gripping and handling the spark plug,of a closed conduit fitted in a removable manner on the cylinder headand in which the said wrench can be moved, of means for opening thisconduit to the atmosphere, and of a movable closer in the said conduitin order to divide the same into two chambers.

According to one embodiment ofthe invention, the conduit above referredto is composed of two'tubes screwed into one another, the lower tubebeing-fixed in a removable manner to the cylinder head, for example, bymeans of a fitting secured by screw-threaded means or by means of abayonet joint.

According to vanother embodiment of the invention, the socket portion ofthe socket wrench has at its lower end an opening whose dimensioncorresponds to that of the body of the plug to be removed or to bereplaced and, furthermore, the inner part of said socket wrench isprovided with spring blades k for gripping and retaining the plug in thesocket wrench. v

According to one form or embodiment of the invention, the closer of theclosed conduit is composed of a stop cock, the key of which is providedwith a cylindrical opening enabling the socket wrench, together withthev spark plug, to be passed, the said stop cock, when open, enablingthe wrench and plug to be passed therethrough, whereas when closed, itprevents the escape of gases from the cylf indcr when the plug isremoved.

The above mentioned stop cock can be replaced by any other suitablecloser and in particular by a slide valve.

Other advantages and features of theinvention will be apparent from thefollowing description in connection with the annexed drawingillustratingv the invention diagrammatically and merely by way ofexample, the only 'figure of which is a vertical section through theapparatus according to the invention mounted with a view to removing aspark plug.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the cylinder head of an internalcombustion engine and 2 the screw threaded opening to re- 00 ceive aspark plug 3. In the present instance, the spark plug 3 is fixed to thehead 1 by means of a sleeve 4 screwed into the threaded opening 2.According to the invention, this sleeve 4 is screw-threaded on its upperportion at 5.

- The apparatus being mounted (as shown in the drawing), a tube 7 isfixed on the sleeve 4 by means of a fitting 6 provided at a suita lepoint of its length with a stop cock 8 the key 9 of which has acylindrical opening of a diameter equal to the internal diameter of thetube 7. The key 9 of the stop cock 8, the function of which will beexplained hereafter, has its axis horizontal and is actuated byoperating the head 10.

The tube 7 is screw threaded at its upper portion in order that a secondtube 11 having a screwed stopper 12 at its upper end may be screwedthereon. The diameter of the tube 11 is equal to that of the tube 7 and,consequently, to the diameter of the opening of the ey 9. y

The assemblage of parts being completed as 8a above indicated, and thekey 9 being rotated in such a manner that the opening therein is in theprolongation of the tubes 7- and 11,

a continuous closed conduit is thus provided within which a socketwrench 13 can be Ina- 90 nipulated. The guiding of this wrench isensured by a transverse wall 14 in the outer end of thetube 11 andprovided with a hole through which the actuating rod 15 of the socketwrench 13 extends. 95

The socket of the wrench 13 has an opening 16 of hexagonal shape at itslower end corresponding. to the shape ofthe hexagonal body 17'of theplug 3. Furthermore, the' said socket is provided above said openingwith spring blades 18 to frictionally engage the outer portion of thespark plug.

For the removal of a spark plug, the mode of operation is as follows:The apparatus being mounted and the opening of the key 9 being alignedwith the bores of the tubes 7 and 11, the socket wrench 13 is insertedso '.that its hexagonal portion 16 engages the socket wrench -13 israised and thus withdraws the spark plug 3 by means of its spring blades18.

The spark plug 3 having passed the stop cock 8, this latter is closed sothat the gases in the cylinder are prevented from escaping. ln order toremove the plug 3 from the socket wrench 13 the tube 11 is unscrewedfrom the tube 7 and the spark plug is removed therefrom by hand.

ln order to insert a new spark plug, this latter is placed by hand inthe socket wrench and the tube 11 is screwed on to the tube 7. rlilhereverse operation to that described above is then effected.

The pressure prevailing in the cylinder and in the tube 7 when the sparkplug 3 is removed, is high. 1n order to reduce the resistance to beovercome when inserting a new plug, exhaust holes 20 are provided in thesocket wrench 13.

Although in the drawing the tube 7 has been shown as being screwed on tothe sleeve 4, it is to be understood that vany other attaching means maybc used, such as a' bayonet joint. The enlarged head of the sleeve 4 maybe replaced by a boss obtained by casting on the cylinder head 1 whenthis latter need not be provided with sleeves such as 4.

It is moreover self-evident that the invention-has only been describedand represented here in a merely explanatory but by no means limitedmanner, and that it could be subjected to various modifications ofdetail without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a tubular sparkplug` holding member of which one end is attachable to a spark' plugopening of an internal combustion engine, a conduit having one enddetachably secured to the other end of said member, manually operablemeans in said conduit for closing the passageway therethrough, and meansoperable from the other end of said conduit for inserting a spark plugthrough said conduit and tubular member into said spark plug opening.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a tubular memberhaving one end adapted for connection with the spark plug opening of aninternal combustion engine and internally screw threaded adjacent saidend to receive the screw threaded portion of a spark plug, a conduithaving one end detachably connected to the other end of said tubularmember and its other end closed, valve means between the ends of saidconduit dividing said conduit into two chainbers, and a spark plugwrench rotatable in and movable through said conduit, valve and tubularmember and operable from the Jclosed end of said conduit.

' 3. Apparatus for replacing spark plugs comprising, in combination, alower tube, tubular means for receiving a spark plug and for engagingthe spark plug opening of the engine cylinder, and for securing saidlower tube to a cylinder head, a stop-cock in said lower tube, an uppertube removably screwed on to the lower tube above said stop cock, asocket wrench mounted slidably and rotatably in said upper tube, andgripping means in said socket wrench for bodily holding the spark plugduring removal and insertion.

4. Apparatus for replacing spark plugs comprising in combination a lowertube removably securedy to a Icylinder head, closing means in said tube,an upper tube removably secured to the lower tube, a gas-tight stoppertor said upper tube, a socket wrench slidably and rotatably mounted insaid upper tube, and spring blades within the socket of .said socketwrench for gripping the spark ACHIULILE ELN FRANQlS WATTEL.

